New capital celebrations to be a 10-day affair: Chandrababu Naidu

VIJAYAWADA: The celebrations for the new capital of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravathi, would begin on October 13 and continue till October 22, the state Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said today.

The Chief Minister today held a teleconference with all District Collectors of the state from his camp office in the city, an official release said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the foundation stone laying function on October 22 ( Vijaya Dasami) and the state government is planning to make it a grand event.

"The celebrations would commence on October 13 and would continue till October 22 across the state," Naidu said.

The officials have to take the responsibility to motivate the people from all 16,000 villages of the state to collect soil from their villages and bring it in pots to Amaravathi by October 20. The soil collected would be made into a 'Stupa', a monument, he said.

He said that water from all local rivers is to be collected by villagers and to be brought for the main ceremony on October 22.

Naidu also asked the District Collectors to make arrangements to carry a torch 'Amaravathi Sankalpa Jyothi' (motivation light) from all villages across the state.

The Chief Minister said, "Every citizen would be motivated to donate at least a brick or its value to feel the ownership of the capital city. All the villagers would take a 'Sankalp Deeksha' (pledge) and these papers would be preserved in a Time Capsule to preserve the fervor of the occasion for the future."

The new capital shall be our legacy for our future generations and it shall act as the economic, social and cultural center for the entire state, he further said.